The Washington Commanders‘ first training camp practice is at 9 a.m. EST on Wednesday. The excitement surrounding Ron Rivera’s group is tangible, but the team will be down multiple starters to open the all-important camp.
After players reported on Tuesday, the Commanders announced Chase Young (knee), Chase Roullier (leg), Logan Thomas (knee) and Tyler Larsen (Achilles) will all open training camp on the physically unable to perform list. Additionally, Cornelius Lucas landed on the active/non-football injury list.
It’s unclear when this quintet — the latter three of whom are starters — will return, but their respective absences give players who play the same positions to get more reps, which makes for an interesting next couple of days/weeks.
At the same time, this injury report gives certain players the opportunity to really step up as leaders of their position groups. With practice underway in just over an hour, let’s highlight players who must step up in the interim.
4 Commanders who must step up after injury report
4 & 3. Saahdiq Charles/Wes Schweitzer
We thought about including Wes Schweitzer over Charles, but the versatile offensive lineman has long been expected to play a big role at camp with the Commanders down their top two centers. A guard by trade, Schweitzer has done a masterful job filling in at right guard and center over the last two seasons.
At this point, Schweitzer is an established member of the OL and Washington will need him to keep it up during camp as the team’s de facto first-string center, especially with (another) new quarterback presiding over the offense.
Charles, meanwhile, will also have to step up. With Schweitzer, the club’s top emergency guard, expected to get the lion’s share of snaps at center, the 2020 fourth-round pick out of LSU has suddenly grown in importance.
While Roullier, Lucas and Larsen get healthy, Charles will operate as the Commanders’ top backup swing tackle and guard (he played every position but center last season, according to Pro Football Focus). This is a huge Year 3 for the young lineman and we’ll know pretty enough if he’s up to the challenge.
2. Cole Turner
It might be a little unfair to say a rookie fifth-round tight end has to “step up,” but Turner was all the rage during OTAs and minicamp and now has a glorious opportunity to become a staple of the Commanders offense in Year 1.
While John Bates was Washington’s standout rookie last campaign, Turner is a more polished pass-catcher and Thomas plays a huge role in the aerial attack because of his size (6-foot-6, 250 pounds) and red zone prowess.
At 6-6 and 240 with athleticism and a catch radius you can’t teach, Turner projects as a like-for-like replacement for Thomas more so than Bates, who’s your old-school tight end in that he’s a wrecking ball as a run-blocker (87.6 PFF grade last year) and does his damage as a receiver in the intermediate passing game.
Turner, meanwhile, can stretch the field, haul in jump balls and create mismatches in the red zone, where Washington was awful in 2021. We’re not saying the Nevada product has to become an instant star in Thomas’ absence, but he won’t get a better opportunity to showcase his talent while the veteran recovers.
1. Montez Sweat
That’s right, folks. No single player has to step up at training camp more than Sweat, who will operate as the Commanders’ No. 1 edge rusher while running mate Chase Young continues his recovery from November ACL surgery.
Not only is Young on the PUP list to start camp, but Ron Rivera told reporters Tuesday that the former Defensive Rookie of the Year will “probably take the most time” to return relative to Thomas, Roullier and Larsen. That quote doesn’t inspire confidence, so Sweat will have to carry the load on the edge.
Sweat had his fifth-year option exercised this offseason and could position himself for a handsome extension next offseason if he steps up in 2022. Last year, however, he tallied a sack every two games.
That doesn’t cut it for a player of his caliber. The defensive line needs the former first-round pick to be more than just a role player. It needs him to be a game-wrecker on the edge to take the pressure off Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne.
The Commanders’ DE room is thin behind Young and Sweat. With Young out seemingly for the foreseeable future, Sweat must establish himself as an alpha. We all know the talent is there and his team needs him to put it on display.